Founded in 1913, the Maison Française has had several homes, but now resides in Buell Hall on Columbia University’s Morningside Heights campus.

It is a center for all things French: lectures, conferences, movies, seminars, salons, exhibits, a book club, and more.

I went to a great event there in 2011. The topic was “Why French Matters.” And it was free!

The event addressed these questions: “Does French still matter? If so, why?” An international panel of impressive speakers reflected on the status of French and foreign-language studies generally in the United States, as well as the larger implications of that status.

The presentations and discussion were excellent, and afterwards was a wine and cheese gathering attended by many interesting and language-obsessed people.